Suprisingly enough, one of the premier wildlife viewing locations in Banff National Park each fall is around the Banff Springs Golf Course.  The best elk rut in Banff occurs on the hallowed Springs fairways and patient photographers will find lots of great opportunities for photographing big bulls and their harems of cow elk both on and off the course.

Bull Elk in Banff National Park

Another great area to find big bull elk each September and October is on the Lake Minnewanka Road, where lucky photographers may find not only elk, but also bighorn sheep, coyotes, and mule deer.

Bull Elk Photography in Banff National Park

The Bow Valley Parkway is also an excellent place to spend some time in Banff National Park viewing and photographing wildlife.  Banff Adventures Unlimited offers Evening Wildlife Safaris along the Parkway, or you can simply drive along yourself and get lucky with bighorn sheep, coyotes, bears, and even wild wolves.

Wild wolf in Banff National Park

But most wildlife photographers in the park are going to focus their attention on the incredible elk rut.  This is by far the best time of year to view and photograph the giant bulls, and again, you’ll want to concentrate your efforts on the Golf Course road at the Banff Springs Hotel, or on the Lake Minnewanka Road.

Let me know if you have any questions before your big trip, and happy shooting!

John

The sights of the Rockies make every road trip a pleasure.

We’ve also got plenty of great scenic drives, including the famous Icefields Parkway between Jasper National Park and Banff National Park, where you can see the Columbia Icefield. Add that to some awesome campgrounds, and you can see for yourself that this is a top RV vacation destination.

One of these great RV campgrounds is Rampart Creek in Banff National Park. Although you should know it only accommodates small RVs.The good news is campsites are all back-in and have lots of shade from the surrounding trees. There are no hookups, but they have well water (hand-pumped), pit toilets, fire rings, recycling bins and food storage containers. For a more full service campground in Banff, check out Tunnel Mountain.

About Rampart Creek Campground

Rampart Creek is a basic Banff National Park campground, with 50 sites. You’ll find it close to the Columbia Icefields (28 km away) along the Icefields Highway, making it a great stopping point for exploring this amazing part of the Canadian Rockies. It is 147 km from the town of Banff and 88 km from the town of Lake Louise.

Reservations cannot be made for this campsite. Like the majority of campsites in Banff National Park it is first-come, first served. Check out time is at 11 a.m., and is the best time to arrive to secure your site. Check here for reservable campsites.

Some of the sites have the privilege to overlook the North Saskatchewan River and the valley. The site is open from June 25-September 6, 2010 (weather dependent).

The campground consists of 4 loops including a walk-in tent section with dry toilets, water stations, sheltered camp kitchens with wood burning cook stoves, garbage containers and recycling bins. Remember: this is bear country, so all food items must be stored properly. Read all advisories when you arrive, as they may have information about dangerous wildlife and/or inform you if you need to boil the water.

Campground Services

• Recycling bins
• Food storage
• Disabled access
• Fees
• $15.70 for the site and an additional $8.80 for use of the fire pit. Note: Parks Canada reserves the right to change the fees without notice.

• Dry toilets
• Well water (hand pump)
• Kitchen shelters with wood cook stove
• Fire pits and firewood (available when you get the fire permit)
• Smoke-free loop

Banff Activities

Visit the Columbia Icefields, go hiking and try ice climbing in nearby famous spots in the winter.

Rampart Creek Campground

• Icefields Highway
• Banff National Park
• Banff, AB T1L 1K2
• (403) 762-1550

For general information contact:

• Banff National Park
• Box 900
• Banff, AB
• Canada, T1L 1K2
• Phone: (403) 762-1550

To see all other national park campsites in Canada, visit Parks Canada.

Other RV sites in Banff National Park

Contact:(403) 762-1550

Come visit one of the world's greatest RV camping spots here in Banff.

It’s also got terrific camping in some of the world’s most beautiful national parks, including Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, and great towns, such as Canmore, Banff and Jasper. Here you’ll be able to enjoy great Rockies vacation activities such as rafting, hiking, mountain biking, fishing and horseback riding.

One great place to set up camp in Banff is the Tunnel Mountain campground.

The Tunnel Mountain campground is in Banff National Park, just outside of Banff townsite.

This is Banff’s largest RV camping area, with 320 sites. Staying here, you’ll get great views of the valley, the Hoodoos and the Banff Springs Golf Course. It is located on Tunnel Mountain, just 2.4 km from the town of Banff. Which means you’re in easy walking distance from town. This can be nice if you don’t feel like pulling up stakes with the RV and coming in, or could use some time on your feet after some long drives.

The Tunnel Mountain campground has good services itself, including food, laundry and even a waterslide are nearby! It is also the only campground in the national park that has full RV hookups available (15 and 30-amp electrical hookups, water and sewer). So it’s sort of the RV’ers mecca for camping. The sites can accommodate large RVs, up to 50-feet long, and are pull-through (not just back-in).

Some of the sites are reservable, while others remain open for visitors on a first-come, first served basis. The campground is open from early May to early October (reservable May 14- October 3).

Visit Parks Canada Campground Reservation Service or call toll-free to 1.877.737.3783 (1.877.RESERVE) to reserve your spot at the Tunnel Mountain Trailer Court in Banff National Park. Please note that reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance.

You may also want to visit Parks Canada for descriptions of all campsites (reservable and non-reservable) on national park grounds.

Additional Services

• flush toilets
• each site has a picnic table
• disabled accessible
• interpretive programs
• fee: $38.20 (subject to change)
• hot showers
• pets allowed

Other RV Campgrounds in Banff National Park:

• fire pits and picnic tables at each site
• kitchen shelters located on grounds
• pets allowed
• fee: $32.30 (subject to change)

• Tunnel Mountain Village II
• 188 sites
• open year-round (reservable May 14- October 3)
• some sites available by reservation, others first-come, first served
• 15 and 30-amp electric hookups at each site, (no water or sewer hookups)
• can accommodate vehicles up to 50 feet long
• flush toilets
• hot showers

For more information about camping in Banff National Park:

• Banff National Park
• Box 900
• Banff, AB
• Canada, T1L 1K2
• Phone: (403) 762-1550

Landscape Photography - Moraine Lake, Banff National Park

Last week, Herbert Lake and Waterfowl Lakes on the Icefields Parkway became ice free — at least a week earlier than normal.  So that means that we are probably on pace for an ice-free Moraine Lake a little earlier than normal this year, maybe even by the end of May if we’re lucky.

Moraine Lake - Best Photography in Banff

The scene at Moraine Lake is a classic and it can be photographed from a variety of angles.  The best time of year to capture sunrise there with some light on the lake water is in June, before the angle of the sun changes enough for the mountains directly west of the lake to block most of the early morning light from hitting the lake itself.  Sunrise is still great after that first good month, but the alpenglow will only light up the peaks in the background.

Sunrise at Moraine Lake, Banff National Park

By July and August, the best reflective light is actually at about 11 a.m. in the morning, when the sun finally crests the towering peaks to the west and shines down on the lake.  That’s when you’ll get the classic shots of the emerald blue water framed by the sunlit Valley of the Ten Peaks.

Summer Landscape Photography in Banff National Park

Note that morning is the best time of day to photograph Moraine Lake.  By late afternoon and evening, the mountains behind the lake are in shadow and do not provide the same dramatic backdrop as they do in the morning.

Good luck out there, and happy shooting!

John

It all got started 125 years ago when a few railway workers stumbled onto some hot pools that eventually led to the creation of not only Banff National Park but the Canadian National Parks system.

Banff turns 125! Come celebrate with us.

Here’s a couple things you can do to discover just what it was that made this the epicenter of Canada’s park system, and one of the highlights of any Rockies vacation.

Soak up Banff history

Go right to the root of what caused Banff to become a National Park, the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Kick back, relax and take in the scenery and springs that have inspired people to come here since aboriginal times.

The Icefields Parkway

Take a scenic Canadian Rockies drive down the Icefields Parkway, one of the most renowned drives in the world.  Along the way, you can do some sightseeing, get some great vacation photos, go hiking and see Rockies wildlife. The route between Lake Louise near the town of Banff to the town of Jasper is 230 km/142 mi. A definite must-see is the Columbia Icefield, one of the largest icefields south of the arctic circle.

Sound of Banff Music

Check out the Banff Centre for anything from small jazz shows, to big country and rock concerts, and line dancing lessons. A great way to spend a night out on your Canadian Rockies vacation.

Eat it up

Banff has lots of great restaurants. Everything from ethnic food, to pizza joints, fine dining to pub food. No belly should growl in this fine grubbing town, at least not for too long after you’ve gotten off of the trail.

Hike Banff

This may seem like one of the most obvious Banff activities to engage in, but hey, we don’t want you to miss the opportunity to hike Banff. One great trail near the town of Banff is Tunnel Mountain. It’s a trail that you can take slow if you want to conserve some energy, or hike fast if you want to burn some. The hike is a 3 mi/4.3 km round trip. Make it to the top and you’ll get great views of the town and park.

Banff from above.

Sulphur Mountain gets its name from two of its most main attractions: the Cave and Basin toward the bottom of the mountain, and the Banff Upper Hot Springs further up. Hot springs, of course, are a welcome sight in the cold Canadian Rockies, and both of these places are well worth visiting.

The Banff Upper Hot Springs, one of nine commercially developed hot springs in the area, are seasonal springs, with water flow peaking in the spring and at their lowest in winter. In fact, since the early 2000s, spring’s flow has stopped completely in the winter, prompting Banff officials to keep the springs alive with municipal water. The water’s natural source comes from either Sulphur Mountain or nearby Mount Rundle, and it flows through the Sulphur Mountain Thrust Fault, geothermally heated to approximately 38 degrees Celsius.

The Cave and Basin Hot Springs was first explored in the mid-1800s, but they became a primary tourist destination toward the turn of the century when a pair of railroad workers climbed down a felled tree into the cave and realized what an opportunity they were looking at. Today, interpetive hikes and replicas of that time remain … along with the springs themselves, of course.

Sulphur Mountain is about more than just its hot springs, though, no matter how refreshing they might be. One of its attractions, of course, is the fact that it is a mountain, which means it’s there to be climbed.

Today, the Banff Gondola running along the eastern slope can carry you up to the summit. At the ridge, you’ll find two fine restaurants, a gift shop, and numerous lookout points from which you can see the Bow Valley to the west and east. Follow a boardwalk that begins on the north side and you can walk up to Sanson’s Peak, which has an elevation of 2,256 meters (7,402 feet).

For hikers and purists, the true summit of Sulphur Mountain can be reached on a scrambler’s trail on the south side of the mountain. It’s not a hugely difficult climb, and you can get a bit higher than you’ll see at Sanson’s Peak. Sulphur Mountain tops out at 2,451 meters (8,041 feet).

By the way, the meteorological research station remains intact. You can visit the site. It has been preserved as completely as possible.

In 1957, a new laboratory was built on the peak to study cosmic rays. That observatory was operational until 1978, but the building was removed in 1981. Now, a plaque marks the site where it stood.

So the next time you’re in the Canadian Rockies, come warm yourself at the hot springs of Sulphur Mountain, either before or after you climb to a rather spectacular view. Even in a place as special as the Rockies, this is one summit that stands out from the rest.

Come see Banff's beauty and discover its history.

The Cave and Basin sits below of nine  hot springs, bunched in three groups on Sulphur Mountain’s northeastern side. Humans have visited these hot springs as far back as 10,000 years ago. European explorers discovered it for their first time in the mid-1800s.

The Cave and Basin itself, a huge underground cavern large enough that whole groups of people can stand in it comfortably, was found later than the rest of the springs by explorer and amateur comedian Joe Healey in 1875.

Eight years afterward, Canadian Pacific Railway workers, William McCardell and Frank McCabe, brought more attention to the cavern one late evening after they descended through the skylight entrance using a felled tree. A strange thing to do, but it paid off. The next year, they made a small cabin nearby with the idea of commercial applications, and brought tourism to the Cave and Basin.

Or maybe not such a good idea, as their plan dissolved as claims and counterclaims of ownership arose. It arose into a huge debacle over ownership of not just the springs, but of Banff, that eventually prompted the Canadian government to step in and rule on ownership and compensation.

Legal trainwrecks aside, The Cave and Basin has already established itself as a vacation area. Workers in 1886 drilled an artificial tunnel into the Cave and Basin to make visiting the cavern easier. Bottled water from the cavern was sold in 1912 with the assertion that it carried curative powers. The popularity of the site grew so quickly that in 1914 a naturally heated swimming pool was opened in the cavern and remained open until 1994.

Today, the Cave and Basin is a treasure trove of the developmental history of Banff National Park. On the site you will find a replical of an 1887 bathhouse, the structure around the restored swimming pool (though you still can’t swim in it today), and many interpretive displays and hiking and snowshoe trails.

And if you’re looking for more hot springs (which, given the temperatures the Canadian Rockies can reach, we wouldn’t blame you for one bit!), the Banff Upper Hot Springs is a separate facility just 5 kilometers southeast of the Cave and Basin.

Hey, on a cold day in the high country, hot springs can be a very welcome sight. When you add to it the Cave and Basin’s historical significance, it is certainly a fine way to spend a fun, informative and refreshing afternoon.

Banff National Park, Alberta

Last week I was on a vacation within a vacation in Banff and Jasper and had the pleasure to try seemingly very different hotels. While in Jasper, I stayed in the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, which has a big reputation and deservedly so. In Banff, I stayed in the HI Banff Alpine. Being a hostel, my expectations weren’t sky high but after my two day stay, I couldn’t help but put both accommodations on a par and considering the usual expense of staying in a Banff hotel and the fact that the HI Banff Alpine is almost a third the price of its more luxurious Jasper cousin – this is impressive.

A great location for a great hostel.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There are no butlers at the door to carry your luggage and fluff your pillow but the first thing that grabs you is the setting. The hostel is hidden away on Tunnel Mountain Drive as close as you can get to the Rocky Mountains. Elk and deer are grazing everywhere and all the amenities you might need are on your doorstep. Check in was a simple process with an extremely friendly member of staff. We were told about the entertainment for that night which was Margarita Monday and live music. First impressions were excellent and when we got into the cabin, I was fully won over.

Perhaps hostels have changed considerably since I used to frequent them but this was really similar to the cabin I stayed in Jasper. Everything was spotless, the room was flooded with sunlight, and there were a ton of towels, complimentary coffee and tea and two comfortable big beds. There was a heater as well as an electric fire and cable TV. Quite different to the hostel experience I was expecting! We enjoyed the music and margaritas immensely in the evening before making the short walk back to the perfectly heated cabin by the edge of the woods. The HI Banff Alpine is very much a hidden secret of Banff and particularly if you are travelling on a budget, I could not recommend this enough.

Banff Alpine Centre HI Hostel

Address:

801 Hidden Ridge Way
Banff
Alberta
T1L1B3

Telephone

1.866.762.4122 (Toll Free)
1.403.762.4123

Banff National Park, Alberta

The popularity of Banff over the years has only grown. Places like Lake Louise and Jasper haven’t changed too dramatically but as a hub of activities and accommodations, Banff is huge. The question arises then – based on budget, location, reputation and specials, where should one stay when they come to this gorgeous National Park?

If you don't fancy sleeping outside in Banff National Park, the Homestead Inn is a superb option.

Well the Homestead Inn is one good option. Located right across the road from the Banff Park Lodge, it offers a more intimate and relaxed setting. It has 27 spacious guest rooms located on 3 floors with lots of parking including a nearby heated underground car park. The first thing that grabs you about the Homestead is the greenery that surrounds it. There is an abundance of green space and mature trees like you might expect to see by a house in the Lord of the Rings…but slightly bigger.

Each room contains a Queen bed or 2 double beds and wireless internet is available throughout the whole hotel so you can read certain Banff Insider’s informative and hilarious blogs from the comfort of your own room. If you can throw a stone a decent distance, it is within a stone’s throw of all Banff’s activities, restaurants, pubs and shops.

217 Lynx Street

1-403-762-4471

Canmore, Alberta

Banff is generally not too welcome to franchise businesses though McDonalds, Subway and Starbucks all make an appearance. It is mine and most Canadian’s favourite cafe that we all crave here though. Tim Hortons is refreshing in the respect that you can actually afford to go in and pay less than the typical $75 for a small (or grande) latte. If you are already staying in a pricey Canmore or Banff hotel, you don’t want to be throwing too much money around on overpriced snack food. After a day of hectic activities in the Canadian Rockies, there is nothing as satisfying as a Tim Horton’s feed and coffee.

The stunning sun sets over the Three Sisters Mountain Range is just another perk to staying in Canmore.

Located just off the highway in the entrance to Canmore from Banff, there is plenty of parking and it is also connected to a Wendy’s fast food chain if you are feeling particularly gluttonous. If you have never had the pleasure of a trip to a Tim Horton’s around Canada, then you are in for a treat. There are about ten thousand specials to choose from where you can choose between Pepsi and coffee, soup and donuts, BLT’s and Turkey Club’s – everything is affordable for the normal person. It can be heartbreaking sometimes going into Starbucks for example for a coffee and muffin and paying half your daily wages!

Canmore is only a scenic 20 minute drive from Banff. It is bigger and quite different. There are less tourists and more quaint cafes, cool bars with gorgeous summer verandas. The mountains seem even closer than Banff and the people even friendlier if that is possible. If you are travelling from Calgary for example, you may be sick to death of Tim Horton’s but fear not, there are some superb eateries for snacks such as the Communitea and Beamers. Canmore is a great alternative to rent a hotel room to Banff. There are some great options and the prices are generally a bit lower. You will still be equally close to ski hills and hiking and more importantly – Tim Horton’s!